DENTAL HYGIENE.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 March 1923, Page 4

DENTAL HYGIENE.

ADDRESS |Y COR. 11! XTKR Col. limiter (Director ol Dental ll.v-gi-eie vi-il.-d Hokitika last week and gave all interest ing address to item Ihws of the Hokitika School Cninmiitee. the Rector and others. in his opening remarks Colonel llunler -. lid lie welcomed the opportunity of explaining the Department's scheme for the dental treatment of .school children for in spite of the publicity given to it ill lII'- Dress throughout the Dominion in its carlv stages there wen Id 'Dll apnear to be a considerable amount "I misunderstanding in the

1 mind- ol the people. lie divided his a address into several heads: '• !. Tlie necessar*. for something b - ing th ::c Celonvl limiter pointed out tb-ii. d"n.Ta! diseas-i "as more prevalent i. < .i] >. thai! i! fm > ever been in the ill - - 1 . o! ibis Dominion; that every rear 1 it i, heeoniing more .serious. It i- in- ' creasing to an alarming extent, and ii is u:i derm ill ing the hen I! h of our people, cud ii allowed to continue unchecked would mean national disaster. Ibis being mi the neic"ily for .something bein ' done is obvious. 2. lie m-xt discussed his reasons for -,111r; the present selietne. lie sun- I that th.- problem in any civilised ' country i, an e\ l l •. niel -. diliieelt on . and ii !d - ne\ er h. i n more -n in Now /calami than at the present time for the folloM ing rea.-mi- : (il There are ever t).I HUI liiild-i.-n m eitr sehmils and examinations , have proved that at least lift per cent of them require denial treatment. (ii) —Shortage ol dental service ton in hout the Dominion. (in') The fact that Die population R a verv s. altered one and such disallocs apart rendering iintral clinics I’m- Do part impossible. iR i Economic reasons. Rost war conditions rendering the financial , omlilion of ibe country unsaiisfaetory. With regard to No i lie slated that in mi endeavour in make headway and •ii get some definite results the polio,\ decided on was to cnin entente on and

follow oil lhe primer-, until they leave school. With regard to Xo 2. darned Hint Ihc (h.veriii.U'iit would have supplied funds and that the Depart nu nt cub! have (.htniued the services ol P.M,\ qualified dental surgeons for Hie work, this would have accentuated the | res; pi -hortage lo the public r o i do.c.'ce which would ii ver have been tolerated. With regard lo Xo 3. it will readily he seen that a large service nill hr required. With regard to \o I as previously stated it. w ill take years before an adequate service can he obtained to cope will lie tremendous amount of treatment necessary, and in order to obtain the best results for a greater number lie d s ide d as lar as possible ..n a preventive policy- to concentrate on and follow up the primers, i.e. junior ekeses. till they leave school. lIV pointed out that in discussions abroad on the .subject sucdi a policy is being ndvoeatI e.l as being the only rational way of tackling the problem. He showed that if an attempt were made to treat the older children first it would result in the primers drifting into the same advanced state of dental decay as the older children and no real advance would he made but by the plan he has •suggested ii would be possible to get a school dentistry clean in a shorter time than by any oilier method he bad yet seen suggested. Therefore, as tile bulk of til-- treat incut neeassnrv for the children of the primer classes will be in connexion with their temporary teeth, rendering advanced dental surgery unnecessary, it will r -adilv he seen that to employ the -’ercae's of only fully qualified dental surgeons to do this work would be an economic waste, as at. least 75 per cent of their qualifications would not be utilized md would Ice lost to the public. Willi these tacts in view be recommended the hou.nnienfc to train young women to perform the necessary treatment. They are , chosen with due consideration of the following points:— | Educational standard.

{ Personality and age. | I General suitability. ; i General He If I '. j ; Their course ot training is such that , ■ they will he better fitted for the work j j they will have to do than freshly quail- j I tied dentists from any dental school. J Colonel Hunter then pointed out the ! great tVnponsibilitv the Government i had shouldered in attempting to deal , with such a vast problem as this, and j said that the Department was doing its , best with its limited resources. _ He j then went oil to suggest- that if any • real headway was to be made others . must shoulder their responsibilities awell, including local bodies and parents. So far local bodies have been responding in a very generous manner, but itwas to parents, if they will assume their responsibilities, lie looked for the greatpc- assistance in coping with the problem- He then went on to show their

Tuty in this matter stating that it was generally accepted by nil the highest medical and dental authorities that dental disease is due to dietetic errors and is easily preventible. As one of tbe.se authorities has said: '‘Diet, without doubt, is the key to preventive medi•ine.” Colonel Hunter then went on to say how the present day fads of civilisation demanded refined and concentrated food, ; that most of the cereals such as wheat, rice, barley and oats are treated in such a manner as to deprive them of their most valuable properties lor niilriLion and growth. That we are consuming more concentrated sugar per capita' in the form of sweets and .such like than any other country in Die world. This is quite unnecessary with a properly balanced diet. He [jointed out also that childrens food was far too ■sloppy and soft, not enough of the hard and tibrims nature to necessitate proper mastication, which is • important m the development of the jaw.,, lie al,o suggested the greater use of vegetables in the raw state in the shape nf salads, pointing out that these. together with the harder fibrous foods not only provide most that was required for the building of strong and healthy bodies, but tend to keep the mouth, teeth and alimentary tract healthy and clean, eliminating that other modern scourge, habitual constipation. which has made ol us a race it-; ciuk'ut on purges and pills. Colonel Hunter al-o emphasised lb. ini |:.n l a lice of regain; meal.-, and said that for children from tun years ni ample and lien toe iciwieii meal ua , a pciTiicinii- habit and hould icciie the .-irnngesl ( umh niuni nm. and l.e urged the parents Dun whatever Dob on i, little vice, nun,lit hr to see to il iii.il . Die simile rob-s suggested be -irh t I !y ad'll .vd to by Die ohddicn. ii' staled that in his imig expel iem-e v. 1.. t'i these simple methods li'ib l.een ado-let lie has never known them to fail. I!' « on.-ider, the present stupid dieteic. I errors are due in a gr>.at degree to ig liorancc. and stated that in be, iipninu I dental diseases iciiiii he pra.-ti-idly nip ed out in the Dominion ii ah vonnv mo! her- win!ld (ii-nperaU' in lu iu .mg ni l.ln ir children on l ■;c-i■ (caamon-si ns. Tin- • -el er is taking >l. p- t. (line, -lie 1. people ell tRi (Mill I i|He. ; d A be:. I oa - ..eel, ib.l. ' i. SO- i'-i'l I not be expecied Dial Die (.'overn.'iien I should eniiDinie indefinitely to irv.i ! o'iiihlren win:,e piirenls disregard tii ( inlin nritiun "tiered them am! -aid < i... tiniie habits which [ir;i(im c the ilisca- .